Elvis Mitchell interviews Kasi Lemmons

“This was a piece of material where trust has to be involved, because the characters are at the edge. ... Petey’s a very big and dynamic character, and so is Vernell, and they’re walking a fine line. For a lot of reasons, they had to trust me. And that made it that much more intimate...”

The movie “Talk to Me” opened nationwide today. I will have more to say about it tomorrow – and about the real Petey Greene (portrayed by Don Cheadle).

For now, I’ll point you to a conversation Elvis Mitchell had with the film’s director, Kasi Lemmons, on his KCRW radio show, “The Treatment.” The interview aired two weeks ago, but you can download it as a free podcast from iTunes. You can also hear it streaming on the KCRW website.

I’ve got a 40-second bite of it on my own Vox audio stash, with Ms. Lemmons talking about the gifted British-born actor Chiwetel Ejiofor, who plays the aspiring D.C. radio executive Dewey Hughes. Click here to hear it.